


For Love and Courage

by tirsynni



Category: Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Gen, Mother's Day, Pre-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-12
Updated: 2014-05-12
Packaged: 2018-01-24 10:39:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1601930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tirsynni/pseuds/tirsynni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"One day, to escape from the fires of the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden forest. The mother was gravely injured... Her only choice was to entrust the child to the Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the forest." -Deku Tree Sprout</p>
            </blockquote>





	For Love and Courage

No matter what happened, Thaddea could not stop running.

She had envisioned her death before. While her bloodline could not boast of royalty, her bloodline knew of a nobility born of courage and heroism that guaranteed a quiet pride and an early death. Her family lived by the sword and died by the sword, so Thaddea dreamed of a bloody and courageous death.

With every stumbling step, her legs burned and threatened to give. Blood dripped from her side, the broken arrow there pulling at tattered clothes and muscle. Choking on fire and smoke and possibly her own blood, Thaddea refused to surrender. All of this had accompanied one dream or another. Her beloved Randolph had laughed and called her morbid. Thaddea knew without a doubt he had died on the battlefield behind her.

No such death awaited her. Instead of a sword, Thaddea clutched her precious burden to her chest, her blood staining his blankets. Instead of running toward the battlefield, Thaddea ran from the destruction that was Hyrule.

Not the death she had envisioned, but if she succeeded, it would be noble, nonetheless.

Thaddea stumbled and her knees slammed into the dirt. For a moment, all she could hear was her own thudding heart in her ears. The crackling fire and distant screams faded. With each deafening thud, more blood pumped out her side.

Within her arms, Link coughed.

She couldn’t die here. She dragged her right foot forward, ground her heel into the dirt. Link coughed again, and she pushed herself up. One stumbling step, then another, and then Thaddea resumed running. Somewhere before her was the Forbidden Forest. She would make it.

Link quieted. He was all right. Link was always a quiet baby. Link was fine and the stitch in her side was no different from her runs with Randolph.

“Link,” she wheezed, and in her mind, Randolph laughed.

“Isn’t that a big name for such a little boy?” he teased.

Thaddea shook her head and stumbled. The burn in her legs was fading away. “No,” she gasped. “Heroes…are in my blood. He will be…great someday.”

Randolph laughed at her. “Of course he will be great. He is your son.”

Thaddea smiled grimly and held Link close. So quiet, her baby, with such intense eyes for an infant. “You…have no…idea.”

No more laughter this time from Randolph. Shadows swallowed all sound, the forest cool and dark. The battlefield could not reach here.

Thaddea ran on.

Her side no longer hurt. She could hear her panting breaths but not feel the ache in her lungs. Everything narrowed down to the bundle in her arms and taking one more step, one more step…

“One more step,” a lilting voice encouraged. “Come on. This way.”

One more step, following that child’s voice into the forest. Her task was all but done. No turning back.

“Dearest child,” a voice rumbled. Thaddea let herself crumple. Almost done. Her task was almost complete. A Noble death and a fine parting, if for but one thing.

“Link,” she breathed. “His name is Link.”

“Link…the hands of the Goddesses art clear on this child. Thy path was hard and full of woe, but rest now, mine child. Within this forest, this one touched by the Goddesses shalt remain safe.”

Small hands touched her arms. Thaddea leaned down and kissed Link’s fair forehead. A noble death, one she would surrender in a heartbeat but for the chance to see him grow. The bloody press of her lips remained even as she pulled away.

“Alas, mine dear child, Farore’s protection within these woods doth not extend to adults. Thy path ends here.”

The small hands pulled Link away. Thaddea closed her eyes.

“Yet thou is touched by the Goddesses. The fate of those who trespass within these holy woods shalt not be thy fate. Rest, mine child, and know thou shalt be reunited with thy child again.”

Thaddea exhaled…

And stopped.

xoxoxox

_This_ was supposed to be the great hero chosen by the Deku Tree? This sleepyhead?

Wings fluttering, she watched the small boy on the bed, taking in his tousled blond hair and fair face. For a second, she thought she saw blood on his forehead but then the vision faded. She shook herself.

No time for daydreaming! She had the feeling this one would cover it enough for both of them.

“Wake up, sleepyhead! Wake up, Link!”

When he finally yawned and sat up, she fluttered around his head. If he had any clue what was coming, it didn’t show on his sleepy face.

“You finally woke up! I’m Navi the fairy!”

Link didn’t speak or smile. He watched her with intense, solemn eyes, which made something in her flare brightly.

Link…a big name for such a small, lazy boy, but she thought it fit nicely.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was partly inspired by a popular Rise of the Guardians fan theory regarding Jack's sister.


End file.
